The Quest II: Paladins of Circumstance
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: The former Paladins and the One True Hero have been summoned back to Everealm. An old enemy seeks revenge for Verlox's defeat by taking over Saenctum, and mysterious skeletal ghouls are spreading fear and pain everywhere. Can our heroes learn enough from the other eleven kingdoms and defeat these foes?
1. Introduction Part 1

**A/N:** This story is a sequel of sorts to the original _The Quest_. Its general storyline and plot bear numerous similarities to the plot of the computer game, _Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny_ , but this is not a crossover with _Ultima_.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _The Quest_ , it's the property of Court Five and Green Harbor Productions.

* * *

 _ **Introduction, Part 1**_

It had been a year since the Paladins' adventures in Everealm and their Quest to become the One True Hero and defeat Verlox. They had gone back to their ordinary lives on Earth, but all of them missed their adventures in that magical realm, and their own world almost paled in comparison to it. There was so much magic, and so many amazing places and creatures to encounter there, the Earth seemed drab and dreary by contrast. Yes, they loved their families and friends on Earth, but they still missed Everealm sorely.

Little did they realize that some of them were going to be lucky enough to be chosen to return to Everealm in its hour of need. But this time, there would be some new faces that would join their party, some new lucky souls who would encounter the wonders of Everealm with the seasoned old adventurers.

* * *

It was a day like any other day for Lina Carollo. She had just finished helping out at her family's restaurant for the day, and was now going home to rest and relax.

That was when she discovered the familiar stone symbol of the Quest of Everealm on her doorstep. Lina was ecstatic at an opportunity to return to the fantasy realm. She read the scroll inside the stone:

"One True Hero, your services are needed once again in Everealm. You have another opportunity to be the hero who saves Everealm from evil again. Go to the underground passageway between realities, and follow the corridors to the Everealm waterway, where the boatman will transport you to our realm."

In other parts of the country, five of the other old Paladins, Leticia, Patrick, Shondo, Andrew, and Bonnie, each received a similar message, beckoning them to come to Everealm. And in still other areas, six other people had been chosen to become new Paladins and to join them in Everealm, too.

The chosen Paladins and the One True Hero walked through the Tunnels Between the Parallel Worlds. The old Paladins already knew the way to the waterway, so they evidently all got there first. The six green Paladins, however, took a little more time, but eventually, they got there as well. The boatman greeted them all and beckoned for them to get on his boat, which they did.

As they began to go through the watery passageway, they soon saw the familiar (to some) silhouettes of the Fates in front of them. The three immortal women spoke, frequently continuing or completing each other's sentences, as they often did.

"A new evil has entered Everealm," said Talmuh.

"One which seeks vengeance for your previous victory," said Karu.

"Over Verlox and his forces," said Solas.

"This evil is more subtle and cunning than mighty Verlox," said Talmuh.

"An evil which requires all your strength and mind," said Karu.

"As well as your heart and soul, to defeat," said Solas.

"Continue to Everealm, where you will once again meet Crio," said Talmuh.

"And he will explain in detail what is afoot," said Karu.

"In the ever dangerous Marwood Forest ahead," said Solas.

With that, the Fates' silhouettes faded into the darkness.

Mutterings and murmurs rose among the Paladins, old and new alike. They all wondered what could be taking place, but no matter how dangerous it was, they were prepared to enjoy their time there once again.

"You ready to be the One True Hero again, Lina?" asked Andrew.

"Sure," said Lina, "We're here to save Everealm again, and that's what I'm going to do. What else would I do?"

The other Paladins smiled.

* * *

At the end of the passage, they all cautiously stepped out into the Marwood, looking around in the darkness of night. Lina found something lying on the ground nearby. She picked it up. It looked like an arrowhead on a chain, but it was shaped like the point of the Sunspear, and seemed to be made of the same metal.

"What is that?" inquired Leticia.

"I'm not sure, Leticia," said Lina, "But it looks just like the Sunspear. Something tells me, however, that I'm meant to have it, because I became the One True Hero on the last Quest." She put it around her neck.

"It sure looks good on you," said Shondo.

"Thanks, Shondo," said Lina with a smile.

Wondering what was going on, they all looked around for a sign of their guide. Curiously, there seemed to be no sign of Crio anywhere.

"Where do you think Crio is?" asked Bonnie.

"I don't know," said Patrick.

"He better be all right," said Shondo, "Because it sounds like we're going to need him to get to the bottom of this."

Suddenly, in one area off to their right, the darkness seemed to gather together and solidify into shapes. All the Paladins stopped and stared in trepidation as four humanoid shapes materialized nearby and sneered at them. They looked like dark skeletons and skulls dressed in black cloaks and hoods, and cold, yellow, glowing lights shone in their eyeholes as if they were eyes. They also wore tarnished silver crowns on their heads. They did not look welcoming at all.

The four figures began to advance on them. They seemed to be most intent on Lina, and leered at her the strongest. Leticia didn't like the looks of this and stepped in front of Lina, blocking the skeletal figures' way.

"Where are you going?" she demanded. "Leave Lina alone! She's our hero!"

One of the front most figures spoke in an icy voice. "That is precisely why we want her, mortal fool. Now step aside, or we will do more than just kill you in your turn."

"I don't think so," said Leticia, bravely but rashly.

"Leticia, don't!" hissed Bonnie.

"What is he going to do?" asked one of the new Paladins nervously.

As if in answer to her question, the figure in the front raised one bony hand and conjured up a dark bolt of some sort. Without a moment's hesitation, it shot the bolt right at Leticia's chest. A second later, Leticia was lying on the ground, groaning in excruciating pain as the cold weapon tore at her breast.

The figure advanced on Lina again. Nobody was sure what to do, and feared the worst. Even Lina herself was uncertain what to do. But then, the Sunspear amulet she wore around her neck began to glow with a warm, golden-red light. It shone right in the eyes of all four skeleton figures, and they screamed and tried to shade their faceless skulls. A few moments later, they started to fade, and they disappeared into the darkness from which they came.

Lina and the others breathed a sigh of relief. The danger seemed to have passed for now. But they still didn't know what to do or where to go.

"Now what do we do?" asked another of the new Paladins.

"I'm sure I don't know," said Lina, "Though I'd sure like to know what the heck those things were and what they wanted from us, especially me."

"What about Leticia?" asked a worried Bonnie.

"I really don't know," Andrew said, "But maybe if we can find the Hag of Purgwal, she could help us with this. That wound looks magical, and deadly, too."

"I think that might be possible, Paladins, seeing as I have come from her hut just now," said a familiar voice. They all turned and saw Crio approaching them.

"Crio!" exclaimed Shondo, "Where have you been? We've been looking all over for you!"

"Yes," said Crio, "I apologize for my tardiness, my friends, but the Hag of Purgwal kept me tied up with details of warnings regarding the Skull-Kings."

"The Skull-Kings?" asked Patrick, "Is that what those things were called?"

"Yes, they are," confirmed Crio. "Ah, I see that poor Paladin Leticia was gravely injured by one of them! Come with me, Paladins. We shall take her to the Hag's hut. The Hag is almost always irritable, but I've already convinced her to help us all in our hour of need, and she isn't in league with the evil despot who presently rules Saenctum. She can cure Leticia, although she may ask for Paladin Andrew's assistance, based on his history with making the potion that once cured our dear Queen Ralia."

"There's an usurper king or queen ruling Saenctum now?" said Lina. "What happened to the true Queen?"

"I will explain everything at the Hag's hut," said Crio. "The new Paladins may get acquainted with the old ones there if they like, and then we'll discuss the current condition of Everealm. Come, we cannot waste another moment in the Marwood Forest at night. Make haste!"


	2. Introduction Part 2

**A/N:** In this story, I'm giving the Vizier a name, Rabbie.

In episode one of the show, the Paladins introduced themselves and some of the things they liked related to fantasy. The new Paladins in this story do the same in this chapter of this story.

* * *

At her hut, the Hag of Purgwal looked at Leticia's wound with an air of distaste.

"Very foul, very evil, the sorcery of the Skull-Kings is," she chattered. "This Paladin obviously has little brain in this big body, if she thought she could take on one of them alone with her bare hands."

"Now, Hag," said Crio critically, "Don't be so hard on Leticia. She didn't know what she was facing. And she does have a very intelligent mind. Why else do you think she won the Mark of Strategy?"

"Then she should've used more of that brain in this instance," sneered the Hag, "The way I figure, she's luckier than she deserves that I have the arts to heal this wound. Nobody with common sense takes on a Skull-King with no weapons and no steel will!"

"Hag!" Crio tried to argue. "These Paladins have proven themselves time and again! Stop insulting them."

"No, Crio, she's right," said Leticia weakly, "I should've known better than to act so rashly, especially since Lina had a way to defend all of us. I won't make a mistake like that again."

"I'll believe it when I see it," the Hag snorted, "Most people never learn from all their mistakes."

"That's not true, and you know it, Hag!" snapped Crio.

"Enough!" snapped the Hag back, "It's hard enough to heal her without you making so much noise! The other Paladins and the One True Hero are making enough noise with their incessant chatter as it is."

"I'll be fine, Crio, really," insisted Leticia, "I don't really care what the Hag of Purgwal thinks of me, anyway. I know I'm a hero."

Crio sighed. "Very well, Paladin Leticia," he said, "I can hear the wisdom in your words."

* * *

While this was going on, Lina, Patrick, Shondo, Bonnie, and Andrew were making introductions with the other newer Paladins, describing themselves, their previous adventures in Everealm, and what sort of fantasy stuff made them tick.

"That sounds great, Bonnie," said one young, blonde woman, in her early 20s. "My name's Alice. I've always loved _The Chronicles of Narnia_. It's fun to read about a world full of talking animals with rationality and independence, and Aslan is so cool as the King."

"That's great, Alice," said Bonnie, "I guess you think that the underdogs in a story are the true heroes?"

"That's right," said Alice proudly.

"Me too," said Bonnie with a smile. "I'd like to be your friend."

"My pleasure," Alice grinned back.

Another woman, about five or so years Alice's senior, spoke up next. "I'm Sarah. My forte into fantasy began with the _His Dark Materials_ book trilogy and the film _The Golden Compass_. I'm convinced that there are worlds of infinite possibilities out there, and I became even more convinced when I saw the Tunnels Between the Parallel Worlds. Plus, the concept of daemons, animal-shaped souls, sounds like the best damn good idea that can stand alone without the story I've ever heard of!"

"That sounds like a great idea for dressing up for Halloween," said Andrew.

"Well, yeah," said Sarah, "But it'd be awesome if it actually existed, too, or if it exists in some parallel worlds. I'm convinced that if I had a daemon, it would be a magpie."

Lina looked at an Asian man in his 30s. "How about you?" she asked.

The man said, "My name is Jack, and I'm a karate and judo instructor. The ancient legends about the kingdoms, gods, and other unique features about the Far East's past are what interest me. Fantastic isn't just a western concept, you know."

"Actually, I didn't know the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and others ever thought of their legends and myths as fantasy," remarked Shondo. "This is news to me."

"Well, hopefully, all of you know it now," said Jack.

"How about me?" said another man of about thirty years. "I'm John, and my fantasy dream is the classic _King's Quest_ computer games. I enjoy moving Graham, Rosella, Alexander, and Valanice through Daventry's different kingdoms in search of adventure the clever, non-violent way."

"I don't pay as much attention to fantasy stories as I used to," said a third man of about forty, who introduced himself as Gilbert, "But I was always enchanted by McDonaldland, that fictional world shown on McDonald's commercials, until a lawsuit stopped the marketing of McDonaldland. Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar, Grimace, the Fry Guys, and everyone else made eating McDonald's food and going to McDonald's joints all the more fun when I was younger."

"Interesting," said Lina, "And how about you?" She was speaking to the oldest Paladin, a black woman of about fifty-five or sixty years.

"That is easy," she said warmly, "Since I was a little girl, I've always loved _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz._ The sequels were mostly good, as well, but the original had a fantastic magic that enchanted me for all my life growing up. There's simply never been a better book, or better characters, searching for home, intelligence, emotions, and courage, four of the five strongest forces in the universe. The fifth is love."

"That is a good book," agreed Bonnie, "Although it isn't quite my favorite, it's still great to read, and the heroes are kind of like those in _The Hobbit_ and _The Lord of the Rings_."

* * *

At about this time, Crio came over and asked if it was all right for him to explain the situation in Everealm now. The Paladins said, "Yes."

He took a seat by the Hag's hut's fireplace and began to speak. In spite of her pain, Leticia also listened from her bed.

"The twelve kingdoms of Everealm, as you all know, are free from the influence of Verlox, and have co-existed in harmony for some time since," said Crio. "Tremendous growth has sprung up in each kingdom, and the economy is stronger than ever. The different races are respecting each other, for the most part, and there have been fewer ogres and dragons than before for some time. Even the Rana creatures have laid low since Verlox's defeat. It looked as though all was going to be well from now on.

"But that was when things began to go wrong. Shortly after you and the other old Paladins returned to your world, the destruction of Verlox's body and staff caused a rift in the earth below Everealm, particularly below the Kingdom of Saenctum. Now a mysterious Abyss exists in and under the ground, infested with foul creatures and unspeakable horrors. At least, we learned about the horrors later. Queen Ralia XXIII went with a party of travelers and adventurers into the Abyss to explore it, and the only survivor to return was the Queen's scribe, who came back with horrifying stories of nameless birds, beasts, and reptiles tearing into the Queen's company. Worse still, the Queen herself was abducted, by none other than the mysterious Skull-Kings, who left one party member, the scribe, live to return to us and tell the tragic tale."

The Paladins all looked shocked and worried, especially the old ones who had visited Everealm previously and met Queen Ralia in person. It was too much to bear, thinking of a terrifying Abyss opening in the ground and the Queen being kidnapped in its depths.

"Of course," continued Crio, "the Kingdom of Saenctum needed a replacement ruler quickly. Into the seat sat a well-known traitor, who had escaped from Castle Saenctum's dungeon just after you returned home, the Grand Vizier himself. Now Saenctum is being ruled with an iron fist by King Rabbie I, who has used propaganda to turn the kingdoms of Everealm against the Paladins, the One True Hero, and all their allies. Now, many of the realm's inhabitants no longer look on you heroes favorably, although there are some exceptions, thankfully. I, myself, have been exiled from Saenctum, which is why I have taken reluctant refuge in the Marwood Forest, and Sir Ansgar has also been disgraced and exiled, though I know not where he is right now."

"You and Sir Ansgar were banished from Saenctum?" said Andrew in shock.

"That just reeks, dude," said Shondo, "I can't believe the Vizier would sink that low."

"None of the present events sound like good news to me at all," said John.

"But why would the Vizier be doing this?" wondered Alice. "And what do these Skull-Kings have to do with it all?"

"That is what we must find out," said Crio. "The Fates have called you all here to travel over the other eleven kingdoms of Everealm, learn as much as you can about King Rabbie and the Skull-Kings, hopefully destroy the Skull-Kings, undermine the former Vizier's rule, and try to find where the Queen is being held prisoner and restore her to her rightful place on the throne."

Lina asked, "Am I expected to lead the team of Paladins on this Quest?"

"As the ordained One True Hero, yes," said Crio. "It's your duty, Lina, to stand as a shining beacon of light for the people who do not love Rabbie or his rule, and to lead them to victory over him."

"I'm sure I can do that," said Lina. "But what about the Sunspear? Will I be needing that this time?"

"Not the actual Sunspear," Crio replied, "At least, not yet. I think that if you need it, the Fates will present you with it."

"Okay, then, let's get to it!" said Lina. "Is everyone up to this?"

Everyone gave an affirmative yes, even Leticia, who seemed to be in less pain than before.

"And for this Quest, I am offering my services as your companion to help guide you on the Second Quest," said Crio.

The Paladins looked at each other, and then they smiled at Crio.

"Welcome aboard!" they all said.


	3. Dramatis Genus

**Dramatis Genus**

 **A/N:** These are the various races and creatures that are encountered in Everealm in this story, and the kingdoms that each one is indigenous (or endemic) to. I will probably introduce others as well later, but these are the more central races and species in this story.

* * *

 **Liontaur** _(Saenctum)_ : Half-human, half-lion warriors who serve as part of Saenctum's defense against enemies, as well as nurses, healers, counselors, and weapon smiths. Most of them were outlawed by King Rabbie after he usurped the throne.

 **Centaur** _(Lluas)_ : Half-human, half-horse, unclothed, these similar creatures are held in high regard in Lluas because of their bond with war horses and their chivalry. Centaurs and Centauresses both exist.

 **Wizards & Witches** _(Sanare)_ : Mysterious magicians and sorcerers with esoteric and arcane wisdom, scattered throughout Sanare.

 **Toadstool People** _(Sanare)_ : Strange-looking people with bipedal, mushroom-shaped bodies who provide vital poisonous ingredients to the wizards and witches of Sanare.

 **Ice Bear Shifter** _(Kunnacht)_ : Polar bear-like animals that can shapeshift into humans and walk among ordinary humans. Their lifestyle consists of fighting small "wars," exploring the ways of humanity, and making love. They can speak human languages.

 **Runstu** _(Austeer)_ : A strange, child-like little people who live in enchanted forests and are ageless, though not necessarily immortal. They play for a living, but they also possess much valuable wisdom and clever ingenuity.

 **Gypsies** _(Glic)_ : Nomadic travelers who traverse the hot, barren deserts and savannas of Glic in search of food and water.

 **Whaplux** _(Glic)_ : Avian humanoids with speech and powerful wings who can see things far away, including seeing into the future. Gypsies believe seeing a Whaplux flying overhead in the desert is a good sign, because it means an oasis is near.

 **Dryad & Naiad** _(Faisney)_ : Shady, quiet tree spirits and water spirits, respectively, that blend in with nature in Faisney, although some smart enough to know where to look can see them. They are bashful around humans.

 **Dragon** _(Fortiteer)_ : Malevolent, winged reptiles with the power of flight and the ability to breathe super hot fire on anything they want in order to incinerate it. They're also known for devouring innocent humans and other creatures. They are especially common in Fortiteer.

 **Leviathan** _(Fortiteer)_ : A beast of the Whispering Depths (the sea), shrouded in mystery, believed to live by the shores of Fortiteer and to capsize ships and eat their crews and lone swimmers alive.

 **Giant** _(Darvia)_ : Clumsy, mischievous, and dim-witted, these huge humanoids capture travelers and wanderers and use them as playthings, slaves, or food, depending on their mood.

 **Rabeklau** _(Comharsa)_ : A race of avian women (no men) who study the creative possibilities of the universe and divulge new philosophies on the nature of the world and the Tunnels Between the Parallel Worlds. They eat fire, which stimulates their "creative juices."

 **Pirates** _(Oraa)_ : Mostly human pillagers who travel most often on the sea near Oraa and are considered a dangerous scourge by most of Oraa's good citizens.

 **Rana** _(Oraa)_ : Bizarre, unattractive, amphibious creatures which crawled out of the deep waters long ago and like to eat people. It's believed a tribe of Rana helped to bring about the return of Verlox and were once in league with King Rabbie, formerly Saenctum's Grand Vizier.

 **Sea** **Serpent** _(Oraa)_ : A monstrous beast of the sea living next to Oraa, which is believed not to be much different in temperament from the Leviathan.

 **Evrist** _(Arkis)_ : Half-dwarfs, half-humans, all men, they were the founding fathers of Everealm long ago, and created many of the magnificent wonders of the Twelve Kingdoms. They all live alone in the tiny Kingdom of Arkis and worship the goddess Evria, Mistress of Fantasy and Adventure in the Multiverse.

 **Ogre** _(Marwood)_ : Beastly, bipedal monsters with tusks and a stench which live scattered throughout the Marwood Forest and waylay lost travelers and "trespassers," and presumably eat them, too.


End file.
